The Chronicles of Clan Northern Harrier: Book 1
by Sieben Nightwing
Summary: Undergoing Heavy Rewriting. Not sure when it will be ready, so if someone likes the concept, but thinks that they would like to change most of the details, feel free to do so. This version is only relevant as a concept draft at this point.
1. Prelude

**A/N:** What you see here is the first part of what I hope will become a series, and may possibly evolve into a Crossover in later parts. But for now, enjoy the first installment of _The Chronicles of Clan Northern Harrier_ as the tale begins. Don't forget to review and flamers will be treated as they should be and will receive a notice of it. Thank you and enjoy the Prelude.

_Disclaimer_: I do not own anything other than Clan Northern Harrier and anything else in the story that is not part of the already existing Mechwarrior/Battletech saga. All concepts that seem strange are probably mine, and if I have taken something from the series, it WILL be kept as close to the series version as possible. I do not plan claim anything to be mine except for the story itself, and my OC, with select prototypes listed in the Tech Manual that will accompany very shortly.

_Edit: I have made some updates to the dates of this installment, to make it more interesting. And to allow for more time fo develop the custom mechs and other unique technology that Clan Northern Harrier will bring to the battlefield. Enjoy, and if you have already reviewed an earlier version of this chapter, Review by PM._

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><p><strong>Prelude: Departure from Nova VII<strong>

**Nova VII**

**December 17, 3051**

It was a cold morning, the wind howling through the seemingly endless canyons of steel that made up the innermost workings of the spaceport. The lifeless giants sitting in their berths would be leaving the following day, to meet with the majestic ships that hung in orbit. Yet amidst this maze of steel, hundreds of men and women moved from berth to berth, checking each DropShip for anything either missing or out of place. All it would take to ruin the launch would be one bolt out of place, one small switch in the wrong position, and there would be nothing that could save the people on that ship. DropShips were very sensitive machines, and were especially prone to failure on the snow-covered world called Nova VII. The harsh environment of this world made Typhoons look like a mild breeze in comparison.

The men and women were techs, in charge of the maintenance for the DropShips that were the life line for the entire clan. It had been years since the clan had entered their self-imposed exile in January of 2824 after the anihilation of Clan Wolverine. The techs however, were preparing the DropShips for the journey that would return the clan to the Inner Sphere. It was time for them to begin the journey home.

**DropShip **_**Nova's Queen**_

**Primary Spaceport, Nova VII**

**December 18, 3051**

An air of confidence settled over the assembled warriors as their general crossed the hanger deck in front of them. They would be the first to leave the surface of Nova VII on this historic day, and their cousins in the Inner Sphere would have no idea what they were up against. The general stopped in the center of the hanger and spoke to the group of warriors that stood before him.

"Men, you are about to embark on the most important journey of your lives. I am proud of each and every one of you, and I wish you the greatest fortune, the greatest battles, and the greatest destiny. We have remained with each other on this cold, cruel world, and we have survived. Today is the end of our exile, and the beginning of our legacy! Our former brothers in the clans will not expect us, and they may resist our return. Let no warrior stand in your way, let no city fall from your hands once you have gained it, and let no other claim what your blood has been spilled to claim! We are but a legend to the Great Houses of the Inner Sphere, but let them see what we have become, WE ARE WARRIORS!"

At these last words, a thunderous cheer rose from the assembled soldiers and the deck shook as the mighty DropShip lifted off of the surface and into the air, the journey back to the Inner Sphere finally underway. Many more DropShips lifted off into the skies of Nova VII, following the leading ship and ascending to the waiting JumpShips.

**JumpShip **_**Silent Feather**_

**Orbit above Nova VII**

A single man stood on the bridge, watching the last DropShip rise from Nova VII. A sigh echoed from the back of the bridge as the door whispered open. As the crew filed in, the man took his place in the Capitan's chair, and began running through the pre-jump checklist. His ship was the first JumpShip to be equipped with inertial dampeners, making the acceleration couches that were arrayed across the bridge unnecessary. Just as the Capitan finished reviewing the checklist, the order to jump came over the ship-to-ship com system. He acknowledged the order, and his ship executed the jump along with the rest of their considerable fleet.

Gone were the days of exile, and upon them were the days of war.

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><p><strong>AN:** Don't forget to Review! Reviews are the only thing that lets me know how I am doing with my story, so no reviews means slower updates, and no improvement. See you all next time with Chapter 1!


	2. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Battletech, nor do I claim too. I have recieved no form of material gain from writing this story, and I would not take any even if it was offered. I write solely to provide readers with a story to feed their imaginations._

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone, I am here with Chapter 1 of the Chronicles of Clan Northern Harrier: Book 1. I only got two reviews to the Prelude, and I am feeling somewhat disappointed. I appreciate all reviews, positive and negative, because they tell me what my readers think of the story. The only type of review I do not enjoy is a flame. If you are going to Flame in a review, please spare yourself the trouble of writing it and if you do not like the story, oh well. Thanks to all my companions who have helped me in coming up with ideas for this story. You know who you are. Now on to the story! **_Edit: chapter has been updated with information from reviewers and missed spelling has been corrected._**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Return to the Inner Sphere<strong>

**High Orbit  
><strong>**Luthien, Draconis Combine  
><strong>**5 January 3052**

The sudden appearance of a large fleet of WarShips and JumpShips at the L1 point above the combined fleet of Clans Nova Cat and Smoke Jaguar unleashed chaos throughout the entire battlefield. With neither force expecting any reinforcements at the time when this new fleet of ships appeared, the utter confusion was inevitable.

As both forces recovered their wits, the confused messages and challenges began to arrive over the communication wavelengths. On the bridge of the flagship, _Nova's Might_, two holotanks hummed to life as the messages were received. The first message was from the Draconis Combine forces and was clearly a challenge to them. The second message was a much more hesitant query as the Smoke Jaguar saKhan broadcast her request for the fleet to identify itself. The fleet's Admiral stood and addressed both parties.

"Good day, gentlemen. Your expressions make it seem as if we are intruding upon something with our presence here, _ja_?" he responded with a slight smile on his lips. Combined with the thick German accent, his grizzled red beard, and the scar across his left eye, that slight smile had the effect of instilling fear in the very hearts of those on the receiving end of his transmission. "I am Fleet Admiral Allen Bismarck of Clan Northern Harrier. I ask that you place your bids if you wish to challenge our forces for possession of this world." He paused before adding, "If you still wish to fight us, that is."

The response from the Combine was immediate and vehement. "We'll fight you, ya dirty bastards! Send down your forces whenever you want. We'll take 'em anytime!" The transmission was terminated at the source as the Combine's messenger cut the signal.

Once again, the clans were slower in their response as they discussed and composed their own response.

"Very well, we will accept your challenge for a Trial of Possession," was the hesitant reply. "I am saKhan Sarah Weaver of Clan Smoke Jaguar. We will bid from our forces not already engaged with the Draconis Combine, but we shall bid after you make your commitments to this Trial, as you are the one who stands to gain control." The saKahn paused slightly before continuing, "Is that acceptable to you?"

Fleet Admiral Bismarck's face was expressionless as he replied. "Ja, it is acceptable. We will commit one Binary of OmniMechs, one star of Variable Focus Mechs, one star of Elementals, and one of our DropShips to this Trial. Once the Trial is over, the victor may claim _isorla_ of any forces that enter into combat during this Trial, or were committed to this Trial. The prize of this trial shall be," Allen paused as he brought up a holographic map of the continent and highlighted a small section of the continent, "uncontested control of this area of twenty square kilometers to the victor. Is this acceptable to you? Or do you wish to bid lower?"

"We do not understand your bid, Fleet Admiral. What exactly do you mean by Variable Focus Mechs?" asked saKahn Weaver.

"Variable Focus Mechs are what you would call Land/Air Mechs," Allen replied. "A star of Variable Focus Mechs consists of five mechs, and we treat them separately from our Battlemech and Aerospace forces, because they do not fall into either category. We will allow you to fight each one of them with two mechs, two aerospace fighters, or one of each type at the same time. Unless you have LAMs of your own, that is." Allen gave the Smoke Jaguar saKhan a gentle smile. "The reason we employ them in our forces is because they are capable of outmaneuvering and outperforming other mechs of almost any class, and they are capable of outmaneuvering fighters as well. Such capabilities allow us to strike quickly and still hit very hard. Their operators have saved the lives of many soldiers and warriors, as well as several ships. We view them with the utmost respect among our Clan. That explanation makes it easier to understand, quiaff?"

"Aff, we understand your bid now. We will match you with one Binary of OmniMechs, one star of Aerospace fighters, and one star of Elementals. The battlefield shall be the prize terrain, with any aerial combat being held in this area of 100 square kilometers here," the saKhan said, highlighting another area on the map, this time with a green box, rather than the red that the Fleet Admiral had used.

"Well bargained and done, saKhan."

"Well bargained and done."

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><p><strong>DropShip <strong>_**Midnight's Angel  
><strong>_**Attached to WarShip **_**CNH Sunset's Angel  
><strong>_**Low Orbit  
><strong>**Luthien, Draconis Combine  
><strong>**5 January 3052**

When the Draconis Combine forces had simply cut off their transmission, which had been secretly broadcast throughout the fleet, Star Colonel Sieben Nightwing had a feeling that it would fall to his Sigma Cluster to make the first strikes against the Combine forces. He was not wrong. Once Fleet Admiral Allen Bismarck had finished the initial bidding with the Clans, he had ordered Sieben to deploy to the planet's surface and establish a temporary command center until they had finished their first Trial of Possession against the Smoke Jaguar forces. Depending on the outcome of that Trial, the command center would be repositioned to its official position at the end of the Trial.

Once the Trial was complete, and the command center had been firmly established, the battle with the Draconis Combine forces would finally begin.

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><p><strong>AN:** So how was that chapter? If you enjoyed reading it, please Review. It lets me know how I am doing and it also helps me get the chapters out faster. Thank you for your support and I will see you next chapter!


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Hello everyone. We are back with the next chapter of "The Chronicles of Clan Northern Harrier: Book 1." I hope you all enjoyed chapter 1, and all of you reviewers, thank you. I sincerely hope to see more reviews to this chapter, and if I do not get reviews, I may stop writing. I do not think you want me to stop writing when the real fun is about to begin.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Trial by Fire, Determination of Ice<strong>

**Clan Northern Harrier Field HQ**

**Luthien, Draconis Combine**

**5 January 3052**

Galaxy Commander Elise Werner watched the feed from the drone hovering over the designated combat field for the ground forces participating in this Trial. During their 228 year exile, Clan Northern Harrier had revised their Rules of Engagement to limit the size of the area that could be contested in a single Trial of Possession. The extreme conditions on Nova VII had meant that it was very difficult to settle above ground, and they could only use the existing caverns to build their cities. There were only three caverns large enough to support the major facilities that were essential to the survival of the clan. The smaller caverns were used as living quarters and markets. Technicians and scientists had worked to install wind turbines above ground that would sit close to the ground to avoid toppling in the wind, in order to provide power to the systems in the cavern.

The larger caverns that were not reserved for the vital equipment were densely packed with housing, and as such those who resided in the caverns which were suitable for more individualized and spacious living quarters were constantly challenged for their quarters. Those who had quarters in the smaller caverns sometimes looked to expand, and challenged to acquire other caverns in addition to the ones they already used. The worst cases however, were the mining allotments. They were constantly being fought over and contested for their mineral resources.

A sharp buzzer brought her out of her reflections. The Trial was going to begin soon, and she needed to monitor the battle closely for her reports to Fleet Admiral Allen Bismarck and Kahn Veronica Rommel.

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><p><strong>50 kilometers from CNH Field HQ<strong>

**Luthien, Draconis Combine**

**5 January 3052**

Star Capitan Evan looked across the battlefield at his opponents. The Smoke Jaguar OmniMechs were hardly impressive compared to some of the heavier mechs in his own clan's arsenal. He had been anxious to fight, and was about to get what he wished for.

xXxXx LINE BREAK xXxXx

Across the battlefield, the third star of the Smoke Jaguar mechs topped the ridge, laden with Elemental suits. Star Commander Owens sat inside his Timber Wolf and stared across at the Northern Harrier forces assembled on the far ridgeline. Their mechs were unfamiliar, but several of them were equipped with a hauntingly familiar weapon, that he had only seen in the technicians' archive files.

'_Why would they be equipped with Plasma PPCs?'_ he wondered. Plasma PPCs were weaker than the standard PPC and required a special weapons mount that was much more difficult to manufacture, but the weapon had higher rate of fire. They also became quite unstable with heavy use.

A green flare launching from his left side brought his attention back to the battle. Green was the "ready" flare. When the answering flare rose from a mech on the opposing side, he watched for a moment before informing the Elementals he was carrying that it was time to go. He pushed the throttle on his mech forward and led his star into battle.

xXxXx LINE BREAK xXxXx

Watching the flare rise from his own mech was something that Evan had few opportunities to enjoy. He pushed his own Killer Hawk forwards as he targeted and approached an opponent in a Timber Wolf mech, seeking to score a quick kill with his Water Cutter before he resorted to a more traditional shoot-and-circle tactic common among mech battles. His selected target was advancing in front of another Timber Wolf that was offloading several Elemental Battle Armors as the battle began. He checked the distance to his target, and was slightly disappointed to find himself still out of range.

Just then, Galaxy Commander Elise Werner came over the comm. system. _"Field HQ to Alpha Binary, Khan Rommel has requested you refrain from the use of our… more unique weapons for the time being. She does not wish for our forces to bring about needless slaughter on our former brethren. Choose your shots carefully. Field HQ, out."_

Evan sighed as he locked down his Water Cutter and selected his LRMs, opening fire on his first target as many of the mechs on both sides opened fire at the same time. The smoke and bits of earth from missile trails and off-target ordinance began to accumulate, creating a cloud of debris that gave the laser flashes which were visible an almost surreal and mystical quality. The fight degenerated into a rather confusing almost-brawl at that point, and the Northern Harrier forces began to make liberal use of their Plasma PPCs at this close range.

Evan soon found himself face to face with a Timber Wolf that was preparing to bash him with its arm amidst the confusion. He sidestepped, and brought his Killer Hawk's right arm in to deliver a gut-punch to his opponent.

xXxXx LINE BREAK xXxXx

Star Commander Owens gaped in near disbelief as the mech he had just attempted to bash evaded his attack with the ease of a practiced boxer evading a strike. He was shaken in his cockpit as his mech was struck just above the waist joint and toppled to the ground. As he tried to rise, Owens' Timber Wolf was suddenly pummeled from behind and roughly flipped over onto its back. He looked up to see the barrel of a laser pointed directly at him in his cockpit, and his opponent began to laugh over the radio.

"_It will take more than a simple close combat attack to touch a Killer Hawk,"_ said the voice. _"You have guts though, advancing into close combat against us. You would make a fine warrior, with the right training, of course."_ The mech swiveled and moved on to its next victim. All Owens could do was sit there in dumbfounded shock at his opponent's mirth and words as the battle slowly began to die down around him.

_How could these mysterious people pilot a mech so fluidly, as if the mech itself was their own body?_ He almost failed to notice when a soldier wearing battle armor began knocking on the side of his cockpit, asking for him to exit his mech and head over to a tented area that must have been set up while he was absorbed in his own thoughts.

xXxXx LINE BREAK xXxXx

High above the battlefield, the recon drone continued to relay the images it observed to the Northern Harrier Field HQ, and the staff there gave a collective sigh of relief that the first phase of the Trial was over.

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><p><strong>80 Kilometers from CNH Field HQ<strong>

**Luthien, Draconis Combine**

**5 January, 3052**

The five Harrier IX Variable Force Mechs were arrayed against ten Kirghiz OmniFighters, and were definitely going to be in for a challenge. The Northern Harrier force had agreed to restrict their VFMs to the use of fighter configuration, but they were allowed to use the thrust and maneuvering capabilities provided by the Air Mech configuration for mid-air maneuvering only. Needless to say, the Smoke Jaguar pilots had no idea what hit them when they were trounced by a force they outnumbered two-to-one. The actual dogfight lasted about thirty five seconds from the first shot, and the result was ten smoking wrecks, all formerly Kirghiz OmniFighters. The first Trial was concluded with a virtual clean-sweep for Clan Northern Harrier.

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><p><strong>AN:** OK, chapter 2 is done. If I do not receive reviews telling me WHAT my readers like in my story, and what they would like to see, I will take longer to get each chapter out. Also, I am working on a force composition for the CNH force, but it will take some time for me to finish it. Thank you for reading, and do not forget to click the button that says review. I do not care what you put in the review, go ahead and flame if you feel the need, I have very little motivation to write without readers reviewing. So go ahead and tell me what you think. I can handle it. See you all next chapter.


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